Commercial INS

General Talk

Honestly how many of you are Licensed and Insured ? And if you who did you get your INS through? What kinda coverage do you have?

Yes I am, I got my INS through Alstate

General Aggregate $2,000,000
Personal & Completed Operations Aggregate $1,000,000
Personal & Advertising Injury $1,000,000
Each Occurrence 1,000,000
Damage to Premisses Rented To Me. $50,000
Medical Expense for any one person $5,000
Deductible is $500.00 I wanted a lower one but they do not offer anything less then $500.00

I'm licensed... well, that is to say, I have my business license. I still have to get a contractor's license and an applicator's license before I can use any chemicals (pesticides, weed control spray, fertilizer, etc). ...and before I do that, I have to be insured... but we're working on that.

Next steps:
1. Get CUSTOMERS (other than chemical)
2. Get insurance
3. Get MORE cusomers
4. Get contractor's license
5. Get MORE CUSTOMERS
6. Take pest test
7. Get MORE CUSTOMERS
8. Get applicator's license
9. GET MORE CUSTOMERS
10. GET BETTER EQUIPMENT... THEN MORE CUSTOMERS!!!

Most commercial accounts will require you to have insurance. I suggest you get it soon as you can. I look it this way. What happens if you your mower throws a rock through plat glass window? Every seen the cost to replace set of double pain sliding glass doors? That can get into thousands of dollars. If you ever want to do any biding on city or county contracts they require you to have insurance also. Just my thoughts..

I am only a few months old in this business but would you all really say its necessary to have liability insurance if I am only servicing residential properties. I did a bid for Merchants when they asked but I didn't really expect to get it, since I had no idea how to bid for commercial properties.
Second, is applicator license required to lay down fertilizer or is based on law from state to state?
Last what exactly does the contractor license necessary for? Does it deal more with landscaping or some degree of landscaping?

Quote[/b] (Clean Lawn @ Oct. 11 2007,7:19)]Last what exactly does the contractor license necessary for? Does it deal more with landscaping or some degree of landscaping?

In California, you have to have a contractors lic. if you do any job that totals $500 or more in materials and labor. If you do a big job and dont have a CL, you can get in a lot of trouble. They do lic. stings all the time.
I remember one time when I was a kid my dad was called to put in a bid at a home. After he wrote up the bid several men came out of the back room and asked him for his contractors license. He was the only one that day who actually had one. In the newspaper the next day there was an article that said the state had busted over 20 people for operating without one. Be Careful!

Quote[/b] (Clean Lawn @ Oct. 11 2007,10:19)]I am only a few months old in this business but would you all really say its necessary to have liability insurance if I am only servicing residential properties.

Let me ask you this. Are you ready to pay out your pocket? lets say you hit out side water tap. Hanging on the home outside the house. Hit it with your mower tire.And you did not even notice that you hit it. Home owner come home finds the house flooded. Now with out insurance how much do you think that would cost you out your pocket? Better be safe then sorry.

I will have to check in Virginia if we need a contractor license then. My neighbor who also owns a lawn care business would know for sure but definately worth having if that is the case. OUCHIES
Yes, I understand anything can happen at any time. I've been on the other end of the stick when one of those you never think it can happen things and it does happen. I believe my neighbor said liability insurance runs about $90.00 per month and that is 1 mil coverage but I will ask my husband which liability insurance he uses with the restaurant and most likely go with them.
Now that the subject has come up regarding the insurance for commercial I am curious how does a new business like myself find out about various commercial bidding contracts? I know several folks on here are veterans and have written their own "how to with lawn care business" books but I don't want someone to point me to a book and I spend money on it and still end up with a million questions. If you guys know what I mean.